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HIPAA for Medical Assistants: An Overview

Series Overview:

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 was the beginning step of a complex but important reform of the American healthcare system and has led to a number of practice changes in all areas of health care — from the O.R. to the private practice waiting room. This three-part series “HIPAA for Medical Assistants” provides an overview of HIPAA regulations for medical assistants.

Overview:

The goal of this program is to define HIPAA and provide an overview of its guidelines and requirements. The program provides information to help healthcare workers comply with HIPAA reforms and requirements.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Describe the overall purpose and goals of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Explain the role of the HIPAA Advisory Team, as well as the role of the individual healthcare worker in ensuring compliance with HIPAA reforms
Describe healthcare access, portability and reliability
Describe the five rules of administrative simplification

HIPAA for Medical Assistants: The Privacy Rule

Series Overview:

Overview:

The goal of this program is to define HIPAA and provide a detailed overview of the Privacy Rule and its implications for healthcare workers.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Describe the Privacy Rule that exists within the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Describe the rule that requires that patients be give written notice of an institution’s privacy rules and practices
Explain patient’s rights regarding the privacy of their medical and personal information
Describe of key exceptions to the Privacy Rule
Describe the most common violations of the Privacy Rule and the consequences for healthcare workers.

HIPAA for Medical Assistants: The Security Rule

Series Overview:

Overview:

This course provides a detailed overview of the Security Rule and its implications for healthcare workers. This course provides guidance on how to maintain administrative, physical and technical safeguards when you are dealing with private patient information in any format.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Describe the overall purpose and goals of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Explain the difference between administrative, physical and technical safeguards
Explain the role of the privacy officer in a healthcare institution
Describe the various actions and precautions to take to ensure security of patient information in an electronic format

Measuring Vital Signs for Medical Assistants Part 1: Temperature, Pulse, Respiration

Series Overview:

Measuring vital signs is one of the fundamental clinical skill that every medical assistant needs to master to provide competent patient care. The measurement of vital signs - including temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure and an assessment of pain - is performed routinely in every healthcare setting. Evaluations of these findings through comparison with previous measurements and established normal ranges can indicate important changes in physical and/or emotional conditions of patients.

Medcom's two-part Measuring Vital Signs series is tailored to the needs of medical assistant in a variety of healthcare settings to provide a fresh look at mastering these basic skills. The series explains the clinical significance of measuring these health indicators and demonstrates the correct techniques for:

Measuring temperature
Measuring pulse rate
Measuring respiration rate
Measuring blood pressure
Making a pain assessment

Overview:

This first of two programs on measuring vital signs demonstrates and describes the techniques used to accurately measure temperature, pulse and respiration in a patient. Measurement of temperature is demonstrated using a variety of thermometers emphasizing the use of electronic, aural (tympanic), and temporal thermometers. Techniques and sites used for measuring the pulse are shown and assessment of the rate, depth, rhythm and quality of respiration is demonstrated.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Identify the indications for measuring temperature
Demonstrate techniques for measuring oral, axillary, and rectal temperature
Define pulse
Locate five sites on the body to palpate the pulse
Demonstrate assessment of both radial and apical pulse
Demonstrate assessment of respiration

Measuring Vital Signs for Medical Assistants Part 2: Blood Pressure, Pain

Series Overview:

Measuring temperature
Measuring pulse rate
Measuring respiration rate
Measuring blood pressure
Making a pain assessment

Overview:

This second of two programs on measuring vital signs demonstrates and describes the techniques used to accurately measure blood pressure and assess pain.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Explain the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Define the blood pressure ranges for each of the four blood pressure classifications
Demonstrate the steps in measuring blood pressure at the brachial artery
Identify 5 characteristics of pain
Identify tools used to assess pain

Measuring Weight and Height for Medical Assistants

Overview:

A person’s weight is an important indicator of general health and nutrition. Individuals are to be weighed as part of taking the vital signs at each visit. Although measurement of body weight and height may seem routine, accuracy is very important because medical and nursing decisions may be based on these measurements.

This program will demonstrate measuring weight with different types of scales, measuring height on a person either standing or lying down and obtaining a waist measurement.

Objectives:

After watching this program viewers should be able to measure weight using:

The Standing Scale
The Chair Scale
The Wheelchair Scale
And measure a person’s height

Medicating Children: Preventing Errors

Series Overview:

Every day, 1 in 5 children under 18 years of age receives medication for an acute pathology. When mediations taken for chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and ADHD — as well as over-the counter medications — are taken into consideration, the total number of children who are taking medications in the United States is staggering. Administering medication to children is a unique challenge requiring specialized knowledge and skills. The nurse must consider each child's age, background and level of physical and psychosocial development, and the administration process must be tailored to meet these particular needs. In addition, children are particularly vulnerable to medication errors.

The two-part "Medicating Children" series demonstrates the safest, gentlest and least intrusive methods of administering pediatric medications to children of varying ages. It includes clear guidelines for the preventions of errors, appropriate precautions and instruction on the precise administration of otic, ophthalmic, nasal, oral and rectal medications.

Overview:

Due to their small size and other physiological differences, children are particularly vulnerable to medication errors. This program focuses on strategies to prevent errors when administering medications to pediatric patients and review the “rights of medication administration” as they relate to pediatric patients.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Describe factors that can lead to medication errors
Identify tools that can be used to prevent medication errors with pediatric patients
Describe the six "rights" of pediatric drug administration
Explain the nurse's role in the administration of children's medications

Medicating Children: Techniques for Medication Administration

Series Overview:

Overview:

This program demonstrates and describes the safest, gentlest and least intrusive methods of administering pediatric medications to children of varying ages including instruction on the precise administration of otic, ophthalmic, nasal, oral, rectal and injectable medications.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Demonstrate appropriate strategies for administering medication to children of different developmental levels
Explain the nurse's role in the administration of children's medications
Describe how to administer oral, otic, ophthalmic, rectal, nasal and injectable medications to children
Select suitable injection sites for medication

Nursing Negligence: Guidelines for Care

Series Overview:

Accusations of negligence in nursing is a serious concern for practicing nurses and can result in lost time, money and reputation. This two-part series is designed to raise awareness about the risks, consequences and legal liabilities of nursing negligence. It provides guidance to help nurses protect themselves, their patients and the facility at which they work.

Overview:

This course defines nursing negligence and describes the four legal components of negligence. It provides information on the most common types of negligence including delegation of nursing tasks to unlicensed personnel such as Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and describes the ANA's 5-Rs of delegation.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Define nursing negligence
Describe the four legal components of nursing negligence
Explain the importance of and identify the 5 "R's" of delegation
Identify and describe the common forms of nursing negligence

Nursing Negligence: What You Can Do

Series Overview:

Overview:

This program features a series of vignettes to provide practical guidance and describes steps nurses can take to protect themselves, their patients and their facilities from acts of negligence and the lawsuits that can result.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Explain what can be done to prevent acts of negligence in the workplace
Identify various practical situations in which acts of negligence may or may not be occurring

Pediatric Physical Assessment Part 1

Series Overview:

Performing a physical assessment on a child can be a challenge and requires healthcare professionals to not only have a solid knowledge-base of the normal growth and development patterns of children, but to also have effective approaches for assessing children of various ages. This series will focus on the technical skills used to perform a head-to-toe well-child evaluation, as well as how to approach and minimize the stress of the youngster during the process.

Overview:

An essential part of preventive pediatric medicine is a complete and thorough physical assessment. Pediatric Physical Assessment Part 1 covers the evaluation of external body functions, including assessing physical growth and observing general appearance of the whole person.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Explain the issues to consider when performing a physical examination of a child.
Perform the necessary steps to acquire and record the patient’s health history
Identify key area to assess the pediatric patient’s general appearance
Describe the elements necessary to accurately assess the pediatric patient’s growth

Pediatric Physical Assessment Part 2

Series Overview:

Overview:

An essential part of preventive pediatric medicine is a complete and thorough physical assessment. Pediatric Physical Assessment Part 2 covers the examination of internal body functions, including the chest and lungs, heart, abdomen, musculoskeletal system and neurological system. The course presents a systematic, step-by step process for performing a complete internal physical exam on a preschool-age child.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Perform an internal exam using the four basic techniques of a physical assessment.
Assess the health of the skin.
Assess the health of the eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
Evaluate the thorax, chest and lungs.
Assess the function and health of the heart.
Evaluate the abdomen.
Determine abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system.
Perform a complete neurological assessment.

Preventing Bloodborne Infections: Bloodborne Viruses

Overview:

Infection control practices in healthcare have changed radically since the advent of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C in the 1980s. While the hazards remain, changes in care practices and protective devices have improved the safety of healthcare professionals against bloodborne pathogens as never before.

This first of three programs on preventing bloodborne infections, describes the dangerous bloodborne viruses themselves and how they are transmitted.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Describe the characteristics of HIV and AIDS.
Describe the characteristics of hepatitis B and C.
Describe the sources of transmission of bloodborne infections.
Describe the modes of transmission of bloodborne infections outside theworkplace.
Describe the modes of transmission of bloodborne infections at the workplace.

Preventing Bloodborne Infections: Engineering Controls Work Practice Controls

Series Overview:

In the 1980s, the worldwide AIDS epidemic focused new attention on infection control procedures, particularly as they relate to bloodborne pathogens such as the virus that causes AIDS, HIV and the hepatitis B and C viruses. After intense study by both the CDC and OSHA, new recommendations and mandates were made that brought about many changes in healthcare practice to help prevent the spread of bloodborne infections.

This new 3-part series, Preventing Bloodborne Infections, provides learners with an understanding of the pathogenicity of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C and strategies developed to prevent their spread through work practice controls and engineering controls.

Overview:

After intense study by both the CDC and OSHA, new recommendations and mandates were made that brought about many changes in healthcare practice to help prevent the spread of bloodborne infections. Some of these involve changes to practices at work — such as to regularly wearing personal protective equipment — but others require basic changes to the engineering and design of medical equipment to make them safer to use.

This is the third of three programs on preventing bloodborne infections, and it will examine OSHA mandated changes in medical equipment — engineering controls — and the way tasks are performed — work practice controls.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Describe the safe handling of sharps and use of safer needle devices.
Describe decontamination and cleaning procedures.
Describe the CDC hand hygiene guidelines.

Preventing Bloodborne Infections: Preventing Transmission, Protecting Yourself

Series Overview:

Overview:

One effect of the AIDS epidemic was an intensified scrutiny of infection control practices throughout American and world healthcare, particularly practices relating to the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, such as HIV and the hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses. After intense study by both the CDC and OSHA, new recommendations and mandates brought many changes in healthcare practice to help prevent the spread of these bloodborne infections.

This is the second of three programs on preventing bloodborne infections, and it will examine the measures you can take to prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens in the healthcare environment, as well as how to protect yourself in the healthcare workplace.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Describe Universal Precautions.
Describe Standard Precautions.
Describe post-exposure responses.
Describe the use of gloves for protection against bloodborne infections.
Describe the use of eyeware for protection against bloodborne infections.
Describe the use of gowns for protection against bloodborne infections

Preventing Needlestick Injuries for Medical Assistants

Overview:

Because needlestick injuries are the most common way for healthcare workers to acquire bloodborne infections — such as HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B — knowing how to protect against needlestick injuries is crucial for medical assistants working with needles and other sharps in the healthcare environment.

This course is designed to raise awareness about the importance of preventing needlestick injuries. It provides an overview of government regulations, a detailed look at safety devices and techniques and guidance for preventing a needlestick injury.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Identify viruses and other infections that can be spread through needlestick injuries
Describe efforts that have been made to prevent needlestick injuries and increase safety for medical assistants and other healthcare workers
Identify the criteria that safer needle devices should meet
Identify the various types of safer needle devices and how they are used
Describe the measures that must be taken to prevent needlestick injuries

The Nursing Assistant: Infection Control Skills

Overview:

Because they are in direct and constant contact with those they care for, techniques for infection control are critical skills for nursing assistants to master. Learning and practicing effective infection control skills will help the nursing assistant prevent the spread of microorganisms that can cause infectious diseases, and protect the health and safety of all those they care for, as well as co-workers and themselves. This program teaches new nursing assistants the important skills necessary for controlling the spread of infectious disease.

Objectives:

After watching this program viewers should be able to describe the use of, and demonstrate basic infection control practices, including:

Standard precautions
Transmission-based precautions
Hand hygiene practices
Use of protective gloves
Use of a protective gown
Handling infectious waste
Handling linen
Cleaning a blood spill

The Nursing Assistant: Moving and Turning Skills

Overview:

Those primarily confined to a bed—who can no longer change position and move easily—are not only less comfortable, but can have decreased blood circulation and are at risk for the development of pressure ulcers. To reduce these risks and improve resident health, the nursing assistant must master the skills needed for moving and positioning the resident in bed using techniques that protect both the resident and the nursing assistant.

Medcom’s Nursing Assistant program on moving and turning skills has been completely revised and updated, yet continues to provide clear descriptions and demonstrations of common and important techniques for safely moving and positioning a resident in bed.

Objectives:

This program will demonstrate:

Moving up in bed using a lift sheet
Moving to the side of a bed using a lift sheet
Performing a log roll with a lift sheet
Assisting a move up in bed
Moving to the side of a bed without a lift sheet
Turning away from you
Turning towards you

Violence In Healthcare Part 1: Empowering You to Be Prepared

Series Overview:

Healthcare facilities must often deal with the results of violence outside their walls, but sometimes the violence seeps into the healthcare environment itself, as with instances of domestic or gang violence that continue into a facility. In recent years violent crime in hospitals has increased 200% and the rate of non-fatal assaults on healthcare workers is much higher than the rate of non-fatal assaults for all private-sector industries combined. Clearly, healthcare workers must empower themselves to be prepared against possible violence.

This two-part series provides healthcare workers with the education needed to identify potential sources of violence and effective strategies to prevent and reduce violence in the healthcare setting. In this way learners will be better equipped to ensure their own safety, as well as that of their coworkers and patients.

Overview:

This program focuses on identifying potential sources of violence and conditions that can predispose to violence to reduce the risk of assault and empower the learner to be prepared.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Identify the three primary sources of violence in healthcare
List OSHA’s three categories of risk for violence in healthcare
Describe conditions in the healthcare environment that can be potential reasons for aggressive behavior
Identify patient conditions that may predispose to violence

Violence In Healthcare Part 2: What to Do When Violence Occurs

Series Overview:

Overview:

This program demonstrates and describes the “four R’s” of dealing with violence through recognizing the signals, resolving conflicts, responding quickly and reporting and documenting after an event.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

Recognizing the signals for escalating agitation and assaultive behavior or criminal intent
Resolving conflicts by appropriately interacting with a hostile individual
Responding quickly if the situation is out of your control
Describe proper reporting and documenting after an event